As we return to full-time, in-person learning, educators expect even more students to struggle with anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues that interfere with their ability to learn and succeed in school. It’s clear that there is a mental health gap that we urgently need to close in order to address the academic gap from lost learning during the pandemic, and ultimately to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our students. Teachers, administrators, and school counselors must be ready to assist these students. So where do we start?
Chris Leonard’s guest is John Reilly, Clinical Director of the Thrive Alliance Group. John is a certified psychoanalyst and a licensed clinical social worker with over 28 years in practice. He also served for 22 years as an owner and administrator of the Sage Day and New Alliance Academy therapeutic day schools. Currently, John provides weekly mental health coaching sessions to cohorts of school personnel.
In this episode, John shares how this coaching process supports school staff in becoming more confident and more effective in working with students struggling with mental health issues.
Highlights include:
- Why untrained school staff may be reluctant to get involved in matters of student mental health
- The “superpowers” school staff members can develop that help them intervene with both struggling students and angry parents
- Why typical mental health PD is often ineffective
- What coaching looks like, and how it builds confidence, empathy, and effective intervention skills
- How schools can use this process to create a culture that supports mental wellness